After my daughter was born, “Get in shape!” topped my list of New Year’s resolutions. Eight years and some 20+ extra pounds later, this pesky to-do item still taunts me. I blame it in part on my love of everything “ito,” as in Fritos, Doritos, etc.

So if you’re looking for get-fit advice, I’m the last person you’d want to consult. But if your resume is in need of a shape-up, I can help!

Follow the suggestions below and I guarantee that with a bit of effort, you’ll start 2009 with a more “lean and mean” career marketing tool that can help you win the employment race.

Trim the fat. Is your resume loaded with flowery language? Does it suffer from “adjective-overkill?” Are there chunks of text screaming for white space? Is it guilty of bad resume lingo, fluff fillers, or information overload? Any of these things can weigh down your resume. My colleague and mentor Kim Isaacs is so masterful at eliminating excess on a resume that I affectionately refer to her as “the slasher.” See her article on how to write a concise resume.

Do sweat the small stuff. Ask any professional resume writer, hiring manager, recruiter, or HR executive for the #1 mistake they see on resumes and chances are they’ll answer with at least one (if not all) of the following: misspellings, grammatical errors, punctuation gaffes, capitalization blunders, and typos. There is no faster way to send your resume to the trash than failing to proofread meticulously. If proofreading isn’t your strong suit, then hire a pro.

Beef up the content. A common problem I see on resumes is weak content, which can creep in on virtually any area of the document. For example, does your resume begin with a cliché-ridden and “me-centered” objective (like “Seeking a challenging position with a growth-oriented company offering advancement potential”) instead of a powerful qualifications summary? Or is the experience section heavily focused on your responsibilities (what you did), but with minimal examples of your accomplishments (how well you did it) for each job? Are you missing strategic sections, like a list of your key skills or a technology summary? Have you maximized keyword density on your resume (crucial if you want employers to find you online)? With most resumes typically given only 15-30 seconds on the initial read-through by a prospective employer, strong content will help propel you to the interview pile vs. the circular file.

Go the distance. Another misstep I see almost daily when I review resumes is accomplishment statements that only go half-way. For example, I recently ran across this bulleted accomplishment on a corporate trainer’s resume: “Implemented ‘Service Excellence’ staff training program, which increased customer satisfaction scores.” This isn’t bad, but it leaves the reader hanging. By how much did customer satisfaction scores increase? Did this individual develop and/or conduct the training program? How many employees participated in the training? How long did it take for customer satisfaction to increase after the training was completed? By including just a few more details, the revised accomplishment statement is much stronger: “Designed and delivered ‘Service Excellence’ training program to 500+ employees, which increased customer satisfaction scores by 35% within two weeks.”

“But wait,” you might be thinking. “Isn’t that just going to make my resume even longer?” Great question. Yes, fleshing out your accomplishments may mean adding a few more words, but that’s where judicious editing comes into play. You shouldn’t be trying to cram every single thing you’ve ever accomplished onto your resume. Only include stand-out achievements that bear the most relevance to the positions you are targeting. So while you’re boosting the impact of these key accomplishments, you’ll also be looking to cut less-essential statements. (That employee picnic you planned may have been a big hit, but if you’re not looking for a job where event coordination is important, then rethink this content). You can also combine similar accomplishments into a single hard-hitting bullet point to preserve space. And here’s a final tip on editing: if you are unable to quantify or explain the benefit/result of something you did, it probably should be cut from your resume.

The bottom line is this: scrutinize each of your achievements to ensure that they are resume-worthy and that they go the distance.

Make your word choices more “muscular.” On a resume, every word counts. If you  rehash phrases like “responsible for” or “duties include,” you will lull the reader to sleep. The same goes for repeating lazy verb choices, like starting every other sentence with “managed.” Use dynamic language and varied, powerful action verbs to keep readers engaged. Get intimate with a thesaurus to reveal synonyms that might work for you.

Present a “buff” appearance. A beautifully designed resume is the equivalent of six-pack abs. Conversely, a resume with too little white space, margins set too tightly, too many or too few bullet points, inappropriate fonts, or text set too large (amateurish) or too small (headache-inducing) can be likened to the dreaded “spare tire” and dimpled cellulite that none of us want. Even if your content is strong and your spelling and grammar are flawless, a poorly designed or lackluster presentation will hinder your resume’s effectiveness.

So print out this blog, power up those laptops, and by all means pass the Pringles – this is probably the only shape-up resolution that you can achieve in a single weekend and with no calorie-counting required.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Karen Hofferber

Senior Resume Writer, ResumePower.com

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There are few things more daunting than searching for a job when you’re unemployed – except perhaps searching for a job when you’re unemployed and the economy is in recession. Oh, and let’s not forget that in addition to the nation’s current economic woes, it’s also the holiday season – a time when conventional wisdom suggests that your odds of being struck by lightning are greater than your chances of getting hired.

Is a job search during a recession doomed for failure?

Not if you think creatively, search aggressively, and maintain a positive outlook and forward momentum!

I’m not going to “blow smoke” here – it’s true that our current recession makes for a decidedly tough job market. Job seekers will likely face some considerable challenges in the months ahead, and it seems that almost daily I’m reading scary reports of more large layoffs occurring nationwide. But the news isn’t all bleak. Consider the following:

– CNET’s Webware blog reported just ten days ago that there are more tech companies with job openings than there are ones initiating layoffs.

– Monster Worldwide’s CEO Salvatore Iannuzzi said in a recent interview with CNBC that a number of sectors are still hiring strong, including government, healthcare, protective services, mining, and exploration.

– In their recent “Who’s Hiring in This Economy?” special report, a Cleveland, OH TV network news affiliate checked the latest numbers from Manpower (the world leader in temporary, temp-to-hire, contract, and permanent employment services); Forbes magazine; and the networking service JobFox.com to find what each consider to be the top “recession-proof” jobs. They predict continued job openings in areas including:

• Accounting: The more companies reorganize, the more accountants they need.
• Nursing: One field where there is still a shortage, with openings at many hospitals.
• Physical Therapy: Openings exist at many hospitals.
• IT: With companies keeping computers longer, they need people to fix them and update software.
• Commission Sales Reps: In a recession, companies are desperate for good salespeople.
• Security: You can’t have enough security these days.
• Building Maintenance: As companies hold off on new offices, it’s paramount that they take care of existing facilities.
• The U.S. Census Bureau: Now hiring thousands of workers to prepare for Census 2010.

And here’s more positive news: regardless of the industry and field you are targeting, there are a number of strategies you can adopt to increase your chances of recession-era job search success. Here are my top picks:

Arm yourself with a recession-proof resume. With increasing numbers of laid-off workers competing for jobs, it’s important that you have a flawless, compelling, keyword-rich, and employer-focused resume. Consider hiring a resume writing firm to write your resume. Your initial investment is well worth the competitive edge you’ll gain, and it will be more than recouped in your first paycheck.

Harness the power of the web. The internet is a job seeker’s best friend. Use it to find and apply for jobs (major job boards post openings daily), research companies, create job search agents, develop/update your online profile, and more!

Network, network, network! Networking is still one of the best tools in a job seeker’s arsenal. Check out Quintessential Careers’ compilation of how-to’s, tips, resources, articles, and strategies on this topic.

Get organized, keep a schedule, and follow-up relentlessly. Resist the temptation to become complacent, discouraged, or lazy. Bad daytime TV, king-size chocolate bars, and internet solitaire are not your friends right now. Create a schedule with at least three job search items to accomplish each day and stick to it. Print out and file all job ads that you respond to, attach the customized cover letter and resume that accompanied each ad for your future reference, and follow-up with prospective employers. When the phone starts ringing for interviews, you’ll reap the rewards of your efforts!

Freelance. A number of career fields lend themselves well to freelancing, including writing, designing, IT, and more. There are various sites on the web that allow you to advertise freelance services for free or for a nominal fee. The demand for talented freelancers is bound to increase during a recession, as employers look for the most cost-effective way to get the work done. In addition, the more you freelance, the more contacts you’ll make – and each of these assignments presents the potential for a full-time job offer down the road.

Volunteer. What are you passionate about? The humane treatment of animals? Global warming? Your child’s school? Get out and volunteer! Just spending a couple of hours a week contributing to a cause you care about is incredibly therapeutic, and it offers the added bonus of giving you something you can add to your resume to fill the gap between jobs. Plus, you never know where it may lead. Your enthusiasm may catch the eye of a hiring manager, or you may meet a fellow volunteer who knows of a job opening in your field.

Supplement your income with creative “moonlighting.” My friend Chris is brilliant at this. She’s a talented HR executive who is currently searching for her next full-time job, but in the meantime she’s supplementing her income by advertising various services on Craigslist, including house cleaning, overnight babysitting, dog-walking, and pet-sitting/house-sitting. It pays the bills and allows her to expand her network of contacts

Consider temp and temp-to-hire options. Temp agencies typically thrive during times of economic cutbacks, so start interviewing with them now. Many of these firms require testing to measure your proficiencies in various areas, so the sooner you begin the process the faster you can find placement. And keep in mind that a temporary placement can lead to a full-time job offer.

Don’t buy into the myth that the holidays are a bad time to job search. Check out Alison Doyle’s blog on Job Searching During the Holiday Season for more information. Still not convinced? Dust off your old copy of “Kramer vs. Kramer” and wait for Dustin Hoffman’s “find-a-job-at-all-costs-right-before-Christmas-Eve” scene. I dare you not to be inspired!

Happy job searching, everyone!

Best wishes,

Karen Hofferber

Senior Resume Writer, ResumePower.com

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I just finished writing two resumes for a Presidents’ Day feature on Monster.com - the resumes of Abraham Lincoln and George Washington. While these presidents won’t need to use their shiny new resumes, I really enjoyed learning more about their fascinating careers. One fact that particularly struck me was the level of failure experienced by “Honest Abe,” our 16th president. Early in his career, Abe lost his campaign for Speaker of the House of Illinois, and lost his run for Congress twice (after he did make it to Congress, he lost the re-election). He lost two more runs for Senate as well as a vice-presidential election.

Yet Abe hung in there, overcoming his failures to become one of the greatest U.S. presidents. We have all faced failures in our lives and careers - some failures have knocked us right off our feet. But there’s always a chance to do better, to find a new way to overcome and succeed. Maybe you’ve been fired, or are dealing with a bad performance review. Or you blew that important sales meeting. Whatever you feel your failure is, do what Abe did - dust yourself off and move forward with your eye on the goal.

Abe said it best: “I will prepare and some day my chance will come.” (–Abraham Lincoln)

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